Butterflies and Moths of California

1375 Species Recorded in California

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in California

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Most Recent Sightings in California

See more recent sightings in California

Umber Skipper
Poanes melane

Observed: Apr 28, 2024

Submitted by: mcvaugh

Verified: Apr 29, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

West Coast Lady
Vanessa annabella

Observed: Apr 27, 2024

Submitted by: mcvaugh

Verified: Apr 28, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Silvery Blue
Glaucopsyche lygdamus

Observed: Apr 27, 2024

Submitted by: mstanek

Verified: Apr 28, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Callophrys dumetorum

Observed: Apr 27, 2024

Submitted by: mstanek

Verified: Apr 28, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Coenonympha california

Observed: Apr 27, 2024

Submitted by: pamelmmc

Verified: Apr 28, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Western Tailed-Blue
Cupido amyntula

Observed: Apr 27, 2024

Submitted by: MAKI

Verified: Apr 28, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Persius Duskywing
Erynnis persius

Observed: Apr 24, 2024

Submitted by: glennfine

Verified: Apr 26, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Persius Duskywing
Erynnis persius

Observed: Apr 24, 2024

Submitted by: glennfine

Verified: Apr 26, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Western Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio rutulus

Observed: Apr 24, 2024

Submitted by: Mzteachuh

Verified: Apr 26, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Oreas Comma
Polygonia oreas

Observed: Apr 22, 2024

Submitted by: glennfine

Verified: Apr 23, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Moss' Elfin
Callophrys mossii

Observed: Apr 22, 2024

Submitted by: glennfine

Verified: Apr 26, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Milbert's Tortoiseshell
Aglais milberti

Observed: Apr 22, 2024

Submitted by: glennfine

Verified: Apr 22, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of California

Acmon Blue Plebejus acmon	Upperside of males blue with dark narrow border; female brown. Underside white with black spot pattern. Hindwing above and below with red-orange submarginal band.
Monarch Danaus plexippus	Upperside of male is bright orange with wide black borders and black veins; hindwing has a patch of scent scales. Upperside of female is orange-brown with wide black borders and blurred black veins. Both sexes have white spots on borders and apex. The Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) is a Mullerian mimic; it has similar coloration and is also distasteful.
Chalcedon Checkerspot Euphydryas chalcedona	Extremely variable. Forewing narrow. Upperside is black to dark orange-brown with yellow, red, and sometimes white spots. Underside with yellow and orange-red bands.
California Sister Adelpha californica	This is a medium to large sized brown-black colored butterfly with a relatively narrow dorsal forewing postdiscal creamy white colored band above with a relatively large orange patch on the forewing. Superficially similar looking above to Lorquin's Admiral (<em>Limenitis lorquini</em>) but can be readily separated by the lower placement of the orange forewing patch and the blue lines on the ventral surface of the wings. Can be difficult to separate from Bredow's Sister (<em>Adelpha bredowii</em>) which does not occur in the U.S. and the Arizona Sister (<em>Adelpha eulalia</em>) which does occur in the U.S. Ranges of <em>californica</em> and <em>eulalia</em> are not known to overlap in the USA. Generally, this species is smaller than <em>eulalia</em>. It is less violet below. The dark and bluish ventral hindwing postdiscal bands are poorly developed, sinuous. There are two basal orange bars on the HW below while <em>eulalia</em> has only one. The blue bar along outer edge of white HW bar is incomplete while <
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui	Upperside is orange-brown with darker wing bases; forewing with black apex patch and white bar on leading edge; hindwing submarginal row of 5 small black spots sometimes has blue scales. Underside has a black, brown, and gray pattern with 4 small submarginal eyespots.
Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus	One tail on hindwing. Upperside blue-gray with large red spot near tail. Underside of spring/fall form is dark gray, summer form is paler gray. Relatively straight postmedian line is white, bordered with orange on the inside edge.
Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquini	Upperside is black with white median bands on both wings; tip of forewing is orange-brown. Underside is reddish-brown with white markings.
Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus	Antennae are very short. Male wide black stigma. Underside of the hindwing is scattered with small black spots. Female: Upperside is dark brown with a very irregular orange band. Underside of hindwing is pale brown with paler checks.
Boisduval's Blue Plebejus icarioides	Upperside of male lilac-blue with dark borders. Female may be brown, or blue with wide dark borders. Below, black or white postmedian spots are larger on forewing than on hindwing.
Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta	Upperside is bright reddish orange with narrow dark markings. Lacks the prominent black inner marginal spot of Phyciodes pallidus. Underside is yellow-orange with somewhat blurry rusty orange markings.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

1375 Species Recorded in California

Featured Species

Erynnis tristis

100 Most Recent Sightings in California

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Most Recent Sightings in California

Umber Skipper
Poanes melane

West Coast Lady
Vanessa annabella

Silvery Blue
Glaucopsyche lygdamus

Callophrys dumetorum

Coenonympha california

Western Tailed-Blue
Cupido amyntula

Persius Duskywing
Erynnis persius

Persius Duskywing
Erynnis persius

Western Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio rutulus

Oreas Comma
Polygonia oreas

Moss' Elfin
Callophrys mossii

Milbert's Tortoiseshell
Aglais milberti

Acmon Blue
Plebejus acmon

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

California Sister
Adelpha californica

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Lorquin's Admiral
Limenitis lorquini

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Mylitta Crescent
Phyciodes mylitta

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of California

1375 Species Recorded in California

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in California

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in California

Umber SkipperPoanes melane

West Coast LadyVanessa annabella

Silvery BlueGlaucopsyche lygdamus

Western Tailed-BlueCupido amyntula

Persius DuskywingErynnis persius

Persius DuskywingErynnis persius

Western Tiger SwallowtailPapilio rutulus

Oreas CommaPolygonia oreas

Moss' ElfinCallophrys mossii

Milbert's TortoiseshellAglais milberti

Acmon BluePlebejus acmon

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Chalcedon CheckerspotEuphydryas chalcedona

California SisterAdelpha californica

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Gray HairstreakStrymon melinus

Lorquin's AdmiralLimenitis lorquini

Fiery SkipperHylephila phyleus

Boisduval's BluePlebejus icarioides

Mylitta CrescentPhyciodes mylitta

Umber Skipper
Poanes melane

West Coast Lady
Vanessa annabella

Silvery Blue
Glaucopsyche lygdamus

Western Tailed-Blue
Cupido amyntula

Persius Duskywing
Erynnis persius

Persius Duskywing
Erynnis persius

Western Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio rutulus

Oreas Comma
Polygonia oreas

Moss' Elfin
Callophrys mossii

Milbert's Tortoiseshell
Aglais milberti

Acmon Blue
Plebejus acmon

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

California Sister
Adelpha californica

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Lorquin's Admiral
Limenitis lorquini

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Mylitta Crescent
Phyciodes mylitta